Ghosts floated through the Sun Bowl on a beautiful September Saturday night ... ghosts of great games past, ghosts of great players past.

UT-San Antonio and UTEP got together for some football, just as Texas Western and North Texas State did on this same date in 1963 ... 50 years ago, 50 years of memories and ghosts.

UT-San Antonio built a 25-10 halftime lead over the Miners, built it by simply gashing the UTEP defense, gorging on an average of just over 13 yards a pop on every first-down play.

But, the Miner defense battled back in the final half, playing as if their hair were on fire, holding the Roadrunners to a fat lot of nothing and giving the Miners a chance. A very real chance.

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And surely on this night, on this 50th birthday, on this night with ghosts of games gone by floating through the old stadium, the Miners would rally.

A pale gold moon (not quite full, but big and round and beautiful) edged its way above the stadium in the second half. Or was it a pale orange? It seemed a sign of things to come -- good things to come.

There was no Larry Durham in uniform Saturday night, not the Larry Durham who dashed 54 yards for the first touchdown in this stadium. But there was Autrey Golden, who dashed 100 yards with a kickoff return for a touchdown.

Unfortunately for the Miners, it was the only time they would dip their toes in the end zone all evening. They came close here, closer there, but had to settle for field goals. Or nothing.

Still, this one was up for grabs in the final minutes. UTSA led 25-13 and the Miners were once again driving. But Jameill Showers scrambled on fourth down, making a nice run and an even better effort before coming up a foot or two short at the Roadrunner 24.

Still, there was time; more than six minutes.

That UTEP defense stopped the Roadrunners yet again ... but a roughing-the-quarterback penalty presented the visitors with a much-needed first down. And, to their credit, the Roadrunners then pieced together a very nice drive ... their only such drive of the final half.

But it was enough. More than enough.

UT-San Antonio took this game 32-13 and, for UTEP, the saddest part of that is the score sounds like a tail-kicking. Yet, it was a football game there for the taking throughout the second half. It was there.

But, in the end -- and once again certainly to their credit -- the Roadrunners took it, just stepped up, made the plays and took it.

A solid, late-arriving, loud crowd of 30,004 came to see this game, came to see these new Miners, came to see them make memories for the future. Perhaps, they even came to see and feel the presence of the ghosts, the ghosts that carry so many memories for so many of them.

But, when the final hit was landed, the ghosts could not help. That pale gold moon could not help. Not even the defense could help.

This was not to be a Miner night, not meant to be a 50th birthday celebration in the old Sun Bowl.

Perhaps another night, another game there will be new memories made as the old stadium creeps toward other birthdays, other times.

Bill Knight may be reached at bknight@elpasotimes.com; 546-6171. Follow him on Twitter @BillKnightept

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